Data watchdog to probe alleged breach at Independent News and Media

Helen Dixon
Helen Dixon

Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon has announced an investigation into an alleged data breach at Independent News and Media plc.

The company said it had already contacted Ms Dixon following revelations from the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (OCDE), the Irish Independent reports.

The suspected breach involves the alleged removal and interrogation of the company’s data in October 2014 on the order of its chairman.

The OCDE is seeking the appointment of High Court inspectors to investigate a number of corporate governance issues at the company.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed concern that the data protection rights of INM employees have been breached.

Séamus Dooley, Irish secretary of the NUJ, said: “The decision to remove records from the premises to another jurisdiction in itself compromised the privacy rights of employees. Every employer has a legal obligation to protect personnel record. It is imperative that INM issue an unambiguous explanation to employees about what has happened and why their data appears to have been put at risk.”

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